Home Automation — Is it Time to Dive In?

The Internet of Things. Smart houses. Home automation. Call it what you like, there’s lots of buzz surrounding these topics. I’ve been a home automation fan for some time, so when I was asked if I’d share my thoughts on the topic, I quickly agreed.

Home automation: Where to begin?

Let’s start with definitions. According to Wikipedia, The Internet of Things (IoT) is a phrase coined in 1999 which refers “the network of physical objects—devices, vehicles, buildings and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity—that enables these objects to collect and exchange data. The IoT allows objects to be sensed and controlled remotely across existing network infrastructure, creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, and resulting in improved efficiency, accuracy and economic benefit…” That’s a real mouthful.

My definition is simply “devices, other than computers, which are connected to the internet for nearly any reason.” So, if your car sends you a text telling you it’s time for an oil change – your car is one of those things. If your blood pressure cuff automatically sends data to your doctor, it’s one of those things. If a sensor on your dog’s collar helps you track Fido when he runs away, that sensor is one of those things. Likewise, a piece of luggage that you can track via GPS (so you can find it even though the airlines can’t), is one of those things. These are real examples and there are, literally, thousands more.

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We call these things “smart devices.” For the sake of this discussion, if you can control it, or communicate with it via your phone, it’s a smart device.

“Home automation” is a subset of The Internet of Things – it refers to things that help you around the house. “Smart houses” are houses which have home automation solutions installed. This article is about Home automation or smart houses.

Why would I bother?

There’s a geeky answer to that – it’s cool. Your friends will be impressed.

But there are far more practical answers.

Do you stumble for a light in the middle of the night? Not with a smart house.

Have you ever driven away and forgotten to close the garage door? No problem – it’ll close itself.

But those early systems were often very expensive and required rewiring the house. So, as much as I loved the idea, I never installed one. I looked often. I picked up brochures at every home improvement show I wandered through. But, nope.

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But more recently?

Well, things have changed a lot since then. There are hundreds (or thousands) of different devices you can install one at a time and they all connect wirelessly. Devices even interact with each other even if they come from different manufacturers. For instance:

Your Nest (Google) thermostat can turn on the heat when you get out of bed because of a SmartThings motion sensor.

Your Phillips Hue lights throughout the house can change to blue when your GE water sensor detects a leak.

And all these things can be controlled with one app on your phone.

So, where do you start?

We’ll talk about that in my next article.

In the interim, check out this explainer video from our friends at Common Craft. And, if you’ve got stories about your experiences with home automation and the IoT, share them in the comments section below.

About The Author

Tim Steele is the President of Content Rules, Inc. and is a piano-playing, dog-loving, photo-taking Smart Home fan who's out to show that nice guys don't always finish last. During the day, Tim is a mild-mannered content development/content strategy professional helping companies create high-quality content that is ready for global audiences. After hours, Tim is (not exactly) a wild and crazy guy who tends to the palm trees in the back yard, teaches his dog new tricks, or helps a neighbor kid learn to play the piano. It's a pretty good life.

4 Comments

While home automation does seem like a great option for any house, it does also seem a bit overwhelming. However, after reading this article , it sounds like the process to automate your home isn’t nearly as expensive or complicated as it used to be. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Rachel, it’s easier and less expensive to get started than it’s ever been. It can also be just as expensive and complicated as ever depending on how deep you get. The good news is that you no longer have to invest in a complicated full system up front as you used to have to in the past.

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